Nintendo Labo Vehicle Kit Review

By: Max Cannon

Nintendo Labo  is an invention that calls back to the origins of Nintendo. Though they're known and loved for their contributions to video gaming, Nintendo started out as a toy company which makes Labo a perfect melding of old and new Nintendo and one of the perfect purchases for a family looking to team up to create-and-play together.

Building Up to Playing

For those wondering why Nintendo Labo holds a higher price tag than your standard software, Labo includes physical cardboard that interacts with your game. While earlier kits had you building giant robot packs, pianos, and fishing rods, the Vehicle Kit centers around a trio of vehicles, hence the name. By covering your Joy-Con in cardboard, you'll turn your controller into a Toy-Con key which can plug into either a car's steering wheel, a plane's joystick, and whatever it is that controls the game's submarine. Those devices for controlling the game's vehicles are assembled together with the various cardboard pieces you'll find in the box and used in tandem with a cardboard pedal you'll also throw together. 

The in-game car will have you filling up with gas to explore the world.Courtesy of Nintendo

Be ready to sink some serious time into putting these contraptions together, it took me around 5 hours on a lazy weekend to put everything together but that could vary if you're working in a group. The instructions are displayed on the console in an easy to follow manner which helps manage how overwhelming it can feel when you dump all of those cardboard sheets onto your workspace. The youngest of gamers should probably get a little help but anyone that's familiar with any other crafts, model trains, planes, or towns, for example, will fit right at home here. 

The plane's flightstick is one of the most fun controllers to use.Courtesy of Nintendo

Land, Air, and Sea

While you're obviously going to want to have a sizable workspace for keeping track of each piece of your cardboard puzzle, you're going to likely want a large playspace too. The main hook of the software comes from the game's open world adventure mode -- though there are also some mini-games to check out too -- and you'll be able to navigate between a submarine, plane, or car at your leisure. By placing the Toy-Con key in each of your steering mechanism's you'll instantly switch to the corresponding vehicle to navigate small challenges throughout the world. So if you steer your car into the water with the wheel, as demonstrated in the video below, you'll be able to switch into the submarine's Toy-Con to dive beneath the water in-game.

Nintendo Labo - Toy-Con 03: Vehicle Kit

The physical feedback from the buttons is satisfying, whether it's pushing down on the pedal or pulling back on the flight stick's trigger. The game's themselves may run out of tricks pretty quickly for older gamers but the target audience here of young wide-eyed gamers is sure to love controlling these games with their real-world creations.

Swapping out the Toy-Con key into the submarine lets you explore under the water.Courtesy of Nintendo

Final Thoughts

Kids are nearly guaranteed to have a blast with Nintendo Labo's Vehicle Kit, though the in-game instructions are clear they may need a little help navigating the overwhelming clutter of cardboard, it feels tailor-made to deliver a memorable experience when a family comes together to create and play with the three vehicles. Nintendo Labo is pure fun from a company that loves to invent new ways to play.

Pros

• Satisfying to Build and Use
• Great for Parents and Kids

Cons

• Overwhelming Amount of Packaging

Nintendo Labo Vehicle Kit Game Rating:

Nintendo Labo Vehicle Kit Box ArtCourtesy of Nintendo

Available for Nintendo Switch

Have Your Say!

Are you picking up Labo? Or, did you already get the Variety Kit or Robot Kit? Share your comments below!